During Pregnancy

Excessive Amniotic Fluid

Spleen/kidney dual vacuity
– Symptoms- during 2nd trimester the abdomen may increase in size abnormally, chest oppression, heart palpations, cough, short, scant urination, superficial edema in both feet, low back ache, weak limbs, Tongue: pale body, slimy white coating, Pulse: weak slippery

Life Gate Fire Debility
– Symptoms: abnormally enlarged abdomen, superficial edema of whole body, chest oppression, rapid breathing, fear of cold, chilled limbs, pale facial complexion, lower and upper back ache and weakness, scanty, white colored urination. Tongue: pale and swollen body, thin coating. Pulse: deep, fine forceless

Anxiety

Liver Fire
– Symptoms- anxiety, mental restlessness, irritability, propensity to outbursts of anger, a dry mouth, thirst, bloodshot eyes, dark urine, constipation, dizziness, tinnitus, dream disturbed sleep. Tongue: red body with redder sides, dry yellow coating. Pulse: wiry and rapid

Empty Heat from yin deficiency
– Symptoms- anxiety, mental restlessness, feeling fidgety especially in the evening, inability to lie down, palpitations, dry mouth and throat, feeling of heat in the evening, malar flush, night sweating. Tongue: red without coating Pulse: floating-empty and rapid

Phlegm-fire harassing the Mind – Symptoms- mental restlessness, agitation, phobias, anxiety, irritability, a feeling of oppression of the chest, dizziness, palpitation, nausea. Tongue: red, swollen and with a sticky-yellow coating. Pulse: slippery and rapid

Loss of Voice

Qi vacuity
– Symptoms: hoarse voice, dizziness, lassitude of the spirit, low back ache, weak limbs, dry throat and mouth. Tongue: pale body, thin coat. Pulse: fine, slippery

Qi repletion
– Symptoms: heavy turbid voice, hoarse voice or voice which is not able to be emitted, phlegm obstructing the throat, chest oppression and discomfort, constipation. Tongue: normal body, thin slimy coating Pulse: wiry, slippery

Must Read: Pu Ji Xiao Du Yin – clears Heat, detoxifies, expels Wind/Heat

Hematuria – Blood in Urine

Damp heat ( pouring downward causes loss of command of the bladder’s Qi transformation)
– Symptoms- red colored urination during pregnancy, dry mouth and throat, low back ache, lack of strength, dry knotted stools, Tongue: red body, slimy white coating Pulse: fine, slippery

Between weeks 29 to 32 of pregnancy, approximately 15% of babies are in the breech presentation. Only 2 to 4 % of these continue in the breech position until labour. However the longer this position is maintained into the pregnancy, the less chance there is of the baby turning.

Much attention has been given to the turning of breech babies using moxabustion. Moxabustion is a way of stimulating acupuncture points with heat, which can encourage the fetus to turn. The technique employs a lighted moxa stick held near the point on the little toe. It appears that by stimulating production of maternal hormones, it encourages fetal activity.

Treatment
Weekly acupuncture and moxabustion treatments until the baby turns. Treatments are most effective starting at 32 weeks. Parents are taught to do a daily moxabustion treatment over the baby toe until the baby turns. Once the baby turns, or the mom thinks the baby has turned, the home moxabustion treatments should stop.

cervical ripening

Cervical Ripening treatment uses acupuncture to gently prepare the body for labor. Weekly acupuncture treatments starting at week 37 until week 40, encourage the baby into its optimal position, softens and dilates the cervix and stimulates the contractions. These weekly treatments have shown to reduce post date births, reduce duration of labor, and reduces medical intervention.

Constipation

Blood deficiency
– Symptoms- constipation during pregnancy, difficult defecation with dry stools, pale complexion, dizziness, blurred vision, tiredness, depression. Tongue: pale and thin. Pulse: choppy

Kidney Yang deficiency
– Symptoms- difficulty in defecation, exhaustion and sweating after defecation, stools not dry, sore back and knees, feeling cold, frequent-pale urination. Tongue: pale and wet. Pulse: deep and weak

Kidney Yin deficiency
– Symptoms – dry stools, thirst with desire to sip water, dry mouth and throat especially in the evening, sore back and knees, dizziness, tinnitus, night sweating. Tongue: red without coating, cracks. Pulse: floating-empty

Liver Qi stagnation
– Symptoms- constipation with stools shaped like pebbles but not dry, desire to open the bowls but difficulty in doing so, belching, abdominal distention, irritability. Tongue: may be of normal color or slightly red on the sides. Pulse: Wiry

cough

Lung yin deficiency
– Symptoms- a dry, persistent cough that starts during the second trimester and is worse in the evenings, a dry throat, thirst with desire to drink in small sips, 5-palm heat. Tongue: without coating and cracked: the body may be red if there is empty heat or normal if there is no empty heat. Pulse: floating-empty or fine-rapid

Phlegm-Fire in the lungs
– Symptoms- cough that is productive of yellow sputum, a feeling of oppression of the chest. Tongue: swollen with sticky-yellow coating. Pulse: slippery and rapid

Kidneys not grasping the Qi
– Symptoms: chronic cough, no force in expectorating phlegm, chest oppression, shortness of breath, tinnitus, frequent urination, low back ache. Tongue: pale body, thin coating. Pulse: wiry, slippery

Dizziness

Liver and Kidney Yin deficiency with Liver Yang rising
– Symptoms- severe dizziness towards the latter stages of pregnancy, tinnitus, insomnia, a feeling of heat in the evening, night sweating. Tongue: red, without coating. Pulse: empty-floating

Spleen deficiency with liver yang rising
– Symptoms- dizziness with early onset during the pregnancy, swelling of fingers and ankles, tiredness, a felling of oppression of the chest, blurred vision, tingling of limbs, insomnia. Tongue: pale Pulse: choppy or slippery

Edema

Spleen Yang deficiency
– Symptoms – edema early in the pregnancy, swelling of face or whole body, yellowish and shiny skin, a feeling of oppression of the chest, breathlessness, tiredness, loose stools, cold limbs. Tongue: pale, wet. Pulse: weak

Kidney Yang deficiency
– Symptoms – edema early in the pregnancy, worse in the ankles, breathlessness, cold legs, backache. Tongue: pale and wet. Pulse: weak, deep

Qi stagnation
– Symptoms – edema beginning towards the 4th month of pregnancy, first in the feet, no pitting, abdominal distention, irritability. Tongue: slightly red on the sides. Pulse: wiry

Leg Pain

Blood deficiency
– Symptoms: the foot or lower leg may have cramps and pain, may radiate up to upper leg or buttock, walking may become difficult, worse at night or during sleeping Tongue: pale body, thin coating Pulse: fine

Fatigue

– Multiparity, previous history of miscarriages, IVF, and/or difficulties in the first months of pregnancy = Kidney Qi deficiency

– Inadequate diet ( including vegetarianism), sleeping troubles= Spleen and Stomach Qi deficiency

– Qi and Blood deficiency

High Blood Pressure – hypertension

Liver wind agitating within
– Symptoms- hypertension late in the pregnancy, headache, malar flush, a feeling of heat in the afternoon, tremor of limbs, convulsions, unconsciousness. Tongue: red and peeled. Pulse: rapid, wiry. Often phlegm is combines with this pattern, especially if the client becomes unconscious.

Phlegm- Fire harassing upwards
– Symptoms- hypertension, edema, slight tremor of limbs, mental confusion, unconsciousness, a feeling of oppression of the chest. Tongue: swollen with a sticky coating. Pulse: wiry and slippery

Empty Wind
– Symptoms- slight tremor and twitching of limbs especially if occurring after delivery, dizziness, palpitations, sweating, pale face. Tongue: pale, short. Pulse: fine, scattered. This condition is characterized by severe blood and yin deficiency after delivery which generates empty wind.

Liver Yang Rising
– Symptoms- worry, depression, anger, over excitement, headache vertigo, sudden dizziness, bloodshot eyes, dark scanty urination, red tongue, purple on the sides, tight and slightly rapid pulse

Phlegm
– Symptoms- headache with feeling of strong pressure, major vertigo, dizziness with vision troubles, numbness of lower limbs, bad breath, swollen tongue with yellow sticky coating, tight and slippery pulse

Kidney yin deficiency
– Symptoms- headache, vertigo, dizziness, lower back pain, pale face, dark red tongue, tight and thin pulse

Eclampsia
– Symptoms- hypertension, proteinuria, lower limb edema, dizziness with headaches, nausea, vomiting, frequent urination, shortness of breath, convulsions, fainting, excess of salivation

Blood deficiency causing internal wind
– pregnancy worsens blood deficiency, fainting, convulsions, palpitations, shortness of breath, dizziness, pale tongue with thin coat, fine and slippery pulse

Liver heat causing wind
– agitation, vertigo, troubled vision, red face and lips, red tongue, wiry pulse

External cold and wind
– headaches, stuffiness of the chest, painful body and limbs, fainting and convulsions, pale tongue, white coating, slippery and tight pulse

Urinary Incontinence

Kidney Qi insufficiency
– Symptoms: frequent urination, incontinence, low back ache, weak limbs, lower abdominal heaviness and sagging, lassitude of the spirit Tongue: pale body, thin coating Pulse: fine, slippery
– TP: supplement the Qi and nourish the blood, secure the kidneys and quiet the fetus